Leading Change

This six-part educational video series is designed in particular for those who have been in a rural health leadership role for two years or less, but it is also relevant to leaders who have been in their roles for longer or who may be training or mentoring new leaders. The series may also serve as a valuable resource for those who may be transitioning to a leadership role within the next year.

Description and Topics Covered

In this module, we’re going to dive into the topic of change. We’ll talk about common experiences that people have through the course of change. We’ll talk about specific things you can do as a leader of change to smooth the process and help others through the transition – and help yourself as well.

Understanding the change process
The human side of change – the ups and downs
Individual differences in response to change
Managing your own emotions during change

Reflection and Discussion Questions

What kinds of changes are you currently experiencing or leading?
What examples of unfreezing, changing, and/or refreezing have you seen in these changes?
How are these change initiatives going? If they’re going well, why? If they’re not going so well, why aren’t they?
Think of one specific change initiative you are currently leading or have led in the past, and identify one person who resisted that change. Where did they get stuck on the change curve? Would you classify the source of their resistance as technical, political, or cultural?
Think of one specific change initiative you are currently experiencing. Where are you on the change curve? If you’re a bit stuck, is it due primarily to technical, political, or cultural factors? How can you address these challenges?

Recommended Activities

Talk to your direct supervisor about current or upcoming change initiatives.
- Find out what they most expect from you during the course of this change, and share with them what you need most from them in order to meet these expectations.
- Find out what changes they’re working on that are particularly difficult. Ask what their biggest challenges are, how they’re working to address them, and what they’ve learned from the experience so far.
Use the Planning and Reflection Worksheet to develop strategies for addressing technical, political, or cultural concerns that someone on your team might have about a current or upcoming change.
Listen to one or more episodes of The Center’s podcast Managing from the Middle: Leading Through Change.